Nightmare
by zimbelstern
Summary: Noodle, usually the calmest member of Gorillaz, has a nightmare that causes her to seek out Russel, her closest friend in the band. Short one-shot.


It was the middle of the night, and Kong Studios was ominously dark. Frequent streaks of lightning silhouetted the building on its hilltop, accompanied by cracks of thunder. Inside one of Kong's several corridors hurried a small figure, who paused in front of a door and raised a fist to knock on its surface. Russel slowly pushed himself upright in his bed, his narrowed white eyes glowing faintly in the blackness. He had been managing to sleep well enough despite the storm raising outside, and did not appreciate that someone had decided to disturb his rest.

The knock on his door was repeated, and the large man reluctantly shoved off his bedsheets and rolled out of the bed to trudge across the room. "Wha'choo want?" he growled, flinging open the door. He lowered his eyes, and his anger melted as he caught sight of Noodle, hunched over and trembling visibly, which Russel noticed as his eyes began to adjust.

"Russel?" The small Japanese girl spoke quietly. "I have had a frightening dream."

The black drummer scratched his head, the corner of his mouth twitching into a sympathetic smile. "You scared from a nightmare? Tough sista like you?"

Unexpectedly, Noodle darted through the doorway and clung to Russel's side, burying her face in his shirt.

He lowered an enormous hand to comfortingly rub her back and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, s'alright," he said, lifting Noodle off the ground. "Nightmares ain't gunna hurt ya."

The small guitarist huddled against his broad chest, still hiding her face. "Gomenasai," she whispered.

Russel shook his head and chuckled deeply. "Don' worry 'bout it." He stepped back to his bed and sat heavily on its end, resting Noodle on his lap. "Wanna tell me wut happened?"

Noodle glanced up to Russel, considering, and then shook her head. "No. I am not usually so, ah… badly affected by dreams. But there was fire, and terrible laughter, and Murdoc was in it, and—"

Russel interrupted with a snort. "Muds? Is that right? No wonder you so scared, den!"

Noodle blinked, a smile spreading across her face at Russel's joke. "Ah! No, no!" she giggled. "That is not what I meant! Murdoc did not scare me. It was the laughter, more than him." Noodle tilted her head to the side. "It… ahh… does not seem so bad now. It helped me to talk."

Russel smiled down at Noodle, relieved to see her change in mood for the better. "Glad ta listen, sista," he answered. He lifted her off his lap and carefully placed her on her feet. "Yo' c'n git back tah yo' room a'ight?"

Noodle gave Russel a cheerful nod over her shoulder. "Yes. I am… ah… sorry for having disturbed your sleep. I will see you at breakfast!" Undaunted by the raging storm and shadowed hallways, the Japanese girl left the room and closed the door behind her as Russel buried himself under his blankets.

Deeper in Kong Studios, another figure, tall and scrawny, walked through the car park. He tripped over an empty beer bottle, squeaking in surprise as he fell in a heap on the ground. Shakily, he stumbled to his feet and approached the dimly-lit Winnebago several paces ahead.

Inside the Winnebago, Murdoc sat in front of his laptop with a half bottle of alcohol dangling between his fingers, unable to sleep. He shifted his eyes to the door when he heard a hesitant knock, and, grumbling to himself, set down his bottle and rose to answer the door. "What?!" he snapped, flinging it open.

2D cringed. "Well… I didn' wanna bother you if y' wozn't awake, but I 'ad a nightmare, an' it really freaked me out…"

Murdoc smiled broadly. "Awww, a nightmare? Poor li'l dullard! So ya want some warm milk and hugs now, do ya?"

2D shook his head, returning the bassist's smile. "Actu'lly, I sor'a fought—"

"GIT AWAY FROM MY WINNEBAGO, FACEACHE!!" Murdoc snatched up a glass and tossed it at 2D, who narrowly dodged it by falling over. 2D then scrambled to his feet and hurtled back toward his room, pursued by an angry Murdoc.


End file.
